Detroit, MI – U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, joined by 15 other members of Congress, is urging the Trump administration to stop using the facilities at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, for detaining migrants. The letter, sent on June 23 to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, insists on the closure of these facilities, which have historically been associated with holding suspected terrorists and have been widely criticized for human rights abuses.
The push comes as the Trump administration reportedly plans to expand the use of Guantánamo Bay to house undocumented migrants slated for deportation. This move has sparked criticism and legal challenges, including a federal lawsuit targeting the conditions and legality of detaining immigrants at the facility.
“We write to express our outrage at the ongoing and recently proposed expansion of detention of immigrants at Guantánamo Bay,” the congressional letter stated. It highlighted the facility’s notorious reputation for injustice and human rights violations, deeming the decision to detain asylum seekers and refugees there as “morally abhorrent and unlawful.”
Among the signatories were U.S. Representatives Shri Thanedar, Greg Casar, Yvette Clarke, Mark DeSaulnier, Jesús “Chuy” García, Jonathan Jackson, Jim McGovern, LaMonica McIver, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Delia Ramirez, Jan Schakowsky, and Paul Tonko. The letter emphasized the importance of closing the detention facilities, arguing that their continued operation enables future administrations to undermine legal protections for non-citizens.
Despite the call from these congressional members, there has been no indication that President Donald Trump’s administration intends to cease the use of Guantánamo Bay for migrant detention. Additionally, the Republican-led Congress appears unlikely to support any legislative efforts to close the facility.
